Document processing method



Feb. 3., 1970 A. J. SABLE ETAL DOCUMENT PROCESSING METHOD 9Sheets-She'et 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1966 E 2: mmhZEa 190 C. 2": mmhmom10.53400 PEDQEO 401F200 8 25:33 EEEAEE A. J. SABLE ET AL DOCUMENTPROCESSING METHOD Feb. 3, 1970 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1966 a Dm Z l a1 M 5 fig: m w? i f w v -W. X

MACHINE QRIVE .H C T U L C DIFF 76 OR 76A 7 INDEXING DRIVE Feb. 3., 1970A. J. SA LE ETAL 3,493,301

DOCUMENT PROCESSING METHOD Fiied Jan. 26,. 1966 1 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb.3, 1970 A. J- SABLE ET AL I ,4 01

DOCUMENT PROCESSING METHOD Filed Jan. 26, 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 5:;

PC 30A FIG. 7

Feb. 3., 1970 A. J. SABLE E AL DOCUMENT PROCESSING METHOD 9 Sheets-Sheet5 Filed Jan. 26 1966 1 W E 2:08 AI a I J 2: k 5 22 E w 0 if T J ZOEbMm23mm m 20 2.2523000 zocbwm 23mm v 20 WPZMEDOOQ 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 A. J.SABLE ET AL- DOCUMENT PROCESSING METHOD SE. wwomxw 205 SE op Sun #255wwomxw to SE O. Dmwm mkom Feb. 3, 1970 Filed Jan. zsqlsae mm Fm ma Feb.3, 1970 Filed Jan. 26, 1966 1 REV CLUTCH A. J. SABLE ET AL DOCUMENTPROCESSING METHOD 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Feb. 3, 1970 A. J. SABLE E L3,493,301 I nocmmm PROCESSING METHOD Filed Jan. 26, 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet9 "Illllllllll E 8:8 tmiz. I. 3mm $2 40528 is on United States Patent3,493,301 DOCUMENT PROCESSING METHOD Arthur J. Sable, Riverside, Calif.,and Charles J. Bashe,

Armonk, and Robert E. Sandt, Chappaqua, N.Y., assignors to InternationalBusiness Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkFiled Jan. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 523,204 Int. Cl. G03b 27/32, 27/52, 27/12US. Cl. 35564 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of preparing asuccession of documents and selected quantities of copies of eachdocument, wherein each document has variable data content and may becopied with form background data is accomplished by printing thevariable data in a required format together with control symbolsidentifying the required form background, and indicating the number ofcopies to be made and distribution thereof, reading the control symbols,selecting the background data thereby, and overprinting the selectedbackground on each selected document, reading the control symbolsindicating the number of copies to be made and printing the requirednumber, of each document, adding to the copies the ordinal numberthereof, and sorting the documents and copies into piles in accordancewith indications of the control symbols and ordinal numbers.

This invention relates to a method of preparing documents and copiesthereof, and for assembling the original documents and the copies inprescribed arrangements, and more particularly to a method of selectingand overprinting form backgrounds upon documents preprinted in arecord-controlled printer, for making selected copies thereof, and forassembling the original documents and the copies, all under controlsymbols preprinted by the record-controlled printer.

The conventional practice in preparing business instruments in a recordor computer-controlled printer is to load the printer with multiple partpreprinted stationery forms including interleaved carbon paper, and toprint the variable data constituting the document in the assigned spaceson the form. Alternatively, general purpose preprinted forms may beused, and the printer programmed to print the additional forminformation (such as column headings) to adapt the general purpose formto the particular application. Following printing, the multiple partforms require bursting, separating, and assembling. Necessarily, suchpractice imposes restrictions upon the flexibility and speed of theprinter. If fully preprinted stationery is used, the source records mustbe sorted so that all records relating to a given document format beprocessed at one time. This batch processing, while efficient in manyapplications, is not suitable for those ap plications requiring thepreparation of only a few documents of each of a variety of documentformats, where the time lost in loading the stationery forms into theprinter is prohibitively great. Where general purpose forms are employedand the printer adds the requisite form headings to individualize theforms, the overall printer speed is prejudiced by the necessity ofadding the repetitive information. A record-controlled printer, when itis printing a conventional business instrument, operates to skip rapidlyover areas of the form wherein no data entries are required, thuseffectively increasing its total document yield over the nominaldocument yield if printing were to be effected upon every line of thedocument. It is thus ineflicient to use the record-controlled printer toprint repetitive form headings and other so-called boiler plate. Afurther limitation of a record-controlled 3,493,301 Patented Feb. 3,1970 printer is its inability to print other than prescribedalphanumeric and special symbols. Art work and special diagrams are,therefore, precluded from being printed by a conventionalrecord-controlled printer.

In addition to the foregoing limitations upon the complete preparationof a variety of documents in a recordcontrolled printer, the making ofcopies and the assembling of the copies poses additional problems. Whena general purpose document stationery form is used, as, for example, atwo-part form with one carbon copy, it is frequently necessary to printthe original twice in order to obtain an original and three copies. Thisexpedient is frequently employed when only a few documents require morethan one carbon copy, wherein it would be wasteful of stationery to loadthe printer with four-part forms just to accommodate the few documentsrequiring the excess copies. Even when a two-part form is employed, arequirement for an odd number of total sheets of any given documentrequires wasting one copy.

The instant invention is intended to obviate the foregoing limitationsof the prior art method of document preparation by exploiting the speedand versatility of the record-controlled printer to print the variabledata entries upon a document, and by further exploiting the capabilitiesof the electrophotographic printer to print form backgrounds upon theoriginal documents and to make copies thereof in selected quantities.Not only does this combination produce an overall increase in the rateof document production, but also it permits the printing of formbackgrounds limited only by the skill and ingenuity of the formdesigner. As an additional benefit, the invention includes automaticassembling and sorting of the original documents and the copies thereofunder control of the computer program that controlled the initialpreparation of the document.

Essentially, the instant invention operates off-line in that it operatesupon a web of joined documents preprinted upon blank stationery by theprinter, but independent of the printer. Thus, the printer output wouldbe rolled as it issues from the printer, and then inserted into theforms printer, copier, and assembler. The speed of neither machine is,therefore, prejudiced by the operation of the other, while control overthe subsequent operation still resides in the first printer. Thiscontrol is achieved by programming the printer to print, in addition tothe variable document data in the prescribed locations, control symbolsindividual to each document, which control symbols indicate the formbackground, the number of copies to be made, the document size, andspecial symbols to control the distribution of the original documentsand the copies thereof.

In accordance with the foregoing summary of the in vention, it is,therefore, an object to provide a method of printing a succession ofdocuments and controllable quantities of copies of each of the documentsand for providing for the selective distribution of the documents andthe copies thereof by printing the documents and associated controlsymbols respectively manifestive of the form background, the number ofcopies to be printed, and the distribution to be made of the documentsand copies upon blank stationery in a first printing operation, readingthe control symbols manifestive of the forms background for eachdocument and selecting and printing from. a selected one of a pluralityof form printing instrumentalities upon each document in a secondprinting operation; reading the control symbols manifestive of thenumber of copies to be made and printing the requisite number of copiesof each original document in a third printing operation, adding to eachof the copies thus made in said third printing operation marksmanifestive of the ordinal number of the copy, and reading the controlsymbols on both the original documents and copies thereof and theordinal marks on the copies and assembling the documents and copies inordered stacks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of making aselected number of copies of an original document and for assembling thedocuments into ordered piles, wherein the original documents bear marksmanifestive of the number of copies to be made, and of the desireddistribution of the original documents by reading the marks on theoriginal document manifestive of the number of copies to be made of eachdocument and making the requisite number of copies of each document withits associated control marks adding to each copy marks manifestive ofthe ordinal number of the copy, reading the marks copied upon each copyand the marks added to each copy and assembling the copies in orderedstacks in accordance with these marks.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for making acontrollable quantity of copies from each of a succession of documentshaving, in addition to the variable data constituting the respectivedocuments, preprinted control marks associated with each documentmanifestive of the number of copies to be made thereof wherein thecontrol marks on each document are sensed and the original documentexposed to an electrographic printing element to produce repetitiveimages of the document under control of the marks to print the requisitenumber of copies.

A subsidiary object in accordance with the preceding object is toprovide in the electrophotographic copying machine means under controlof the number of copy marks on the original document for adding marks toeach copy manifestive of the ordinal number of the copy.

An additional object of the invention is to provide in anelectrophotographic printing machine means for varying the speed of theprint receiving stationery therethrough and for controlling the exposureof the electrophotographic printing element as a function of the speedof the stationery feed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrographic copyingmachine for producing a variable number of copies of each of asuccession of documents under control of marks preprinted upon eachdocument manifestive of the number of copies to be made thereof.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustratedin the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a section of the web with the preprinted documents and controlsymbols.

FIG. 3 is a section of the film loop containing images of the formbackgrounds.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural drawing of the forms printer, and webloop storage device.

FIG. 5 shows details of the forms background projector.

FIG. 6 is a wiring diagram of the forms printer.

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural drawing of the copy printer and sorter.

FIG. 8 shows details of the original document feeding drum.

FIG. 9 shows details of the copy number printer.

FIG. 10 is a wiring diagram of the copy printer.

FIG. 11 is a timing chart of the copy printer.

FIG. l2 is a timing chart showing the timing of a typical succession ofdocuments and copies through the copy printer.

FIG. 13 shows details of the sorter.

FIG. 14 shows a plugboard diagram for selectively altering the operationof the sorter.

The basic operation of the machine is shown in block diagram form inFIG. 1. The web 15, containing a succession of joined documentspreprinted on blank stationery in a computer-controlled printer,together with sets of control symbols are fed from supply roll 9 to theselective forms printer 1. In the forms printer the control symbols foreach document are sensed, and a form background compatible with eachsuccessive document is selected and overprinted upon each document,under control of the preprinted symbol. From the forms printer 1, theweb 15 feeds to and through a loop storage device 2, which producesslack in the web 15 and varies the speed of operation of the formsprinter 1, commensurate with the rate of acceptance of the succeedingcopy printer 3. In the copy printer 3, preprinted control symbolsdenoting the number of copies to be made are sensed, and the requisitenumber of copies of each respective original document printed. The web15 is cut into discrete documents in copy printer 3 and fed as such tothe collator and sorter 4. The copies made from the original documentsin the copy printer 3 are delivered as separate sheets, each having theoriginal control symbols copied from the corresponding original documentas well as additional control marks added to each copy by the copyprinter 3, the added marks denoting the copy number (first, second,third, etc.). The copies feed to the sorter and collator 4. In thesorter and collator 4, the preprinted control symbols appearing on boththe original documents and copies thereof, as well as the copy number(appearing only on the copies) are sensed, and distribution made of theoriginals and copies made in accordance with distribution ordersestablished by control symbols preprinted upon the original documents.

Before proceeding with a detailed explanation of the various componentswhose function has been set forth, it is well to digress briefly andexamine the nature of the preprinted document web 15 which controls thebasic operation of the apparatus. This web is preprinted in acomputer-controlled printer which has the capability of printing anycharacter or symbol from the available printer font in any column of anyline on blank or preprinted stationery to thus prepare a succession ofdocuments having any prescribed format. In the instant application, theprinter prints upon blank stationery which is then rolled on the roll 9,print side in, and the supply roll inserted for feeding in the reversedirection from its preparation into the forms printer 1.

Turning now to FIG. 2, which shows the web 15 as it might issue from theprinter, the gating control symbol GCS (illustratively an asterisk,although any symbol may be used) is the only printing that is effectedin the last column of the form. This gates the remaining control symbolsappearing on the same line to be sensed, and ignores any other sumbolsconstituting the variable document data. The remaining control symbolsappearing on the same line as the symbol GCS are conveniently dividedinto fields, much as one divides a punched card into fields, each with adifferent significance. Because of the tremendous bit capacity inherentin the 132 columns of printing typical of a conventionalcomputer-controlled printer, the control fields, requiring only a smallpercentage of the potential capacity, may be widely separated to permitthe use of segmented pinch rolls with the photosensing elements disposedin the space between the segmented rollers. Typically, Field A with fivebinary recording positions is allocated to forms selection, giving acapability of selecting from a library of thirty-two form backgrounds inthe forms printer 1. Field B, containing three recording positions,controls the number of copies to be made from the original in copyprinter 3. Field C (and any others deemed necessary) receive specialcomputer-controlled combinations of asterisks to control the subsequentdistribution of the originals and copies in the sorter and collator 4.For control of the forms printer 1, only the gating symbol GCS and FieldA are necessary, and they are printed at the bottom of each newdocument, because the web 15 is rolled and fed backwards. Alternatively,the symbols may be printed serially in the last column. The computerwhich controls the printer is programmed to print the control symbols inpositions compatible with the document format and with the subsequentcolumn aligned sensing elements. The successive joined documents are ofvariable length, and each is terminated by a line of control symbols. Afurther cut control symbol CCS is printed in the first column justtrailing the future out line of the document above and is used in thecopy printer 4 to control the trimming of the copies to the requisitelength. Thus, each document is provided with a beginning and end ofdocument mark. When rolled and unrolled backward, the GCS symbol leadsthe CCS symbol, the former being used to cut the original document webinto discrete documents, and the later mark being used to trim thecopies to the appropriate length.

Returning now to the forms printer 1 and a more detailed explanation ofthe operation, reference should be made to FIG. 4. All elements of theforms printer, except the projectors P1 and P2 are driven continuously,but at variable speed from the variable speed drive VSD. This variablespeed is necessary since the copy printer 3 will operate at varyingspeeds as a function of the number of copies to be made. The variablespeed drive is controlled by the loop storage device 2 and will operatein servo fashion to maintain a constant loop length in the loop storagedevice 2. The web 15, wound on supply roll 9 with the print side facingin, is fed therefrom by pinch rolls 16 and 17 (and others as necessary),over the reversing roll 18 and onto the evacuated feed drum 31. While onthe drum 31, it feeds serially past two photocell sensing stationsconsisting respectively of photocells PC2 to PC7 and the photocell PC8.The drum 31 is perforated (or formed from a porous sintered metal) andis provided with an internal non-rotating baffled chamber 32 extendingfrom 6 oclock to 12 oclock that adheres the web 15 lightly to the drum31 during feeding. Photocells PC2 and P08 sense the control symbol GCS(FIG. 2) while photocells PC3 through PC7 are aligned with and sense thecontrol symbols in Field A (FIG. 2) of the document. The photocellsPC2-PC7 read the form identification control symbols and, throughcontrol circuits 43, alternately index the projectors P1 and P2 to theappropriate frame on a film loop containing images of the formbackgrounds to be overprinted on the documents. The projectors, whenactuated by the photocell PC8, project their images upon the xerographicdrums 45 through mirrors M1 or M2. While the projectors are exposing theprojectors are exposing the drum 45, the film strip is moved past anexposure slit at scale speed (inversely proportional to themagnification of the projection lens) with respect to the linear speedof the drum 45. Since exposure of the drum is initiated by PCS, itsarcuate distance from the printing station (at the bite of drums 45 and31) is just equal to half the circumference of the printing drum 45. Thearcuate distance between the two photocell sensing stations is less thanthe minimum document length, and the minimum traverse time of the web 15past the two stations is greater than the maximum time required to indexthe film loop in the projectors P1 or P2 from one frame to the nextneeded frame. Thus, each projector will be completely indexed beforeexposure from that projector is required. As will be explained, when theprojectors are described, the variable speed drive includes atransmitter TS (which may be a synchro or other motion transmittingdevice) which controls the iris diaphragms in the projectors as afunction of the web feed speed, so as to effect a constant exposure ofthe xerographic drum. Qualitatively, the iris is stopped down as the webspeed decreases, and vice versa.

The xerographic printer includes the conventional cleaning station 60,ion charging station 61, toner transfer station 59, and the toner fixingstation 48 wherein heat and pressure fix the toner to the web 15. Theseelements are well known in the xerographic art and do not requireelaboration.

Each of the projectors P1 and P2 (FIG. 4) contains a complete library ofstored images for all 32 of the forms background, together with binarycoded marks between film frames to identify the associated image. Theseare stored on continuous loops of FL of sprocketed film, a typicalsection of which appears as in FIG. 3. It is noted that a gating markcorresponding to the symbol GCS on web 15 is not needed, because theform background images will not produce a response in the sensingphotocells compatible with that of the indexing marks. Specifically, thefilm space 53 between frames is opaque except for the transverselyrecorded codal marks 54. These marks are sensed by photocells in theprojectors and control the high speed indexing thereof until the codemarks match the control symbols printer in Field A of the document. Thecode marks 54 are placed a fixed distance from the leading edge of thecorresponding frame containing the form background image, This distanceequals the distance between the photocells and the frame exposure slitin the projectors P1 and P2. Since the film is projected onto an arcuatesurface (drum 45, FIG. 1), it is moved past the exposure slit in timedsynchronism with the drum movement during exposure of the drum. Thus,successive incremental line images are formed on the drum to produce thecomposite image thereon.

The projectors P1 and P2 are identical, and similar in nature to thatdescribed in Us. Patent 2,783,454, issued Feb. 26, 1957, to D. 0. Northwith some important exceptions. Referring to FIG. 5, which representsschematically the arrangement necessary to implement the requisitefunctions, the film loop FL is guided over sprockets 65, 66, 67 and 68,all of which are driven from differential 70 which receives drive inputsfrom either the film indexing drive 72 or the clutch 74, which clutchreceives its drive from the basic machine drive, when energized bypotentializing the line 75 (or 75A) from control circuit 43. A furtherline 77 (or 77A) operates the shutter magnet SM, to project the filmimage. When the film is indexing, clutch 74 is disengaged and its outputshaft braked, and the indexing drive 72 (energized by a potential online 76) drives the sprockets 65 to 68 and film loop FL at rapid speedthrough differential 70 until the photocells PC10 and PC14 sense a matchbetween the film index marks and the document form control marks. Theindexing drive 72 then stops and brakes its output shaft to lock thefilm loop in exposure start position. When the exposure start signalarrives on lines 75 and 77, shutter magnet SM operates to open theshutter to expose the drum, and clutch 74 engages to drive the film loopFL at scale speed. The light source 78 includes the conventionalprojection lamp and condenser lens standard in any film projector. Itilluminates the film both at the projection slit 79 and the indexingslit 80, these slits being spaced apart a distance equal to the distancebetween the indexing marks 54 (FIG. 3) and the leading edge of the nextfollowing film frame. The iris control IC provides a variable stopopening for the projection lens controlled by a motion repeater such asa synchro, connected to a transmitter TS operated from the variablespeed drive VSD. This variable control insures a constant exposure ofthe xerographic drum 45.

In FIG. 6 the circuits for controlling the alternate indexing andexposure of projectors P1 and P2 are shown. Proceeding in the sequenceof events for a typical succession of documents, the first event occurswhen the photocell PC2 senses the gating symbol GCS, while photocellsPC3 through PC7 sense the control symbols in Field A of the document.Photocell PC2 opens gate 82 to apply potential from the plus voltagesupply to photocells PC3 to PC7 so that they are active to sense onlythe control symbols. PC2 also complements the trigger FF I (initiallyreset to status P2). The photocells PC3 to PC7 selectively store thecodal marks in Field A in latches 83 to 87, these latches beinginitially reset upon start of operation of the machine. With FFl in theP1 position (projector P1 active), gate 88 will be opened to applypotential to the projector indexing photocells PC15 through PC19 inprojector P1. Since the film loop FL is now mis-indexed, comparator 89yields no output signal on line 90, the absence of which signal isinverted in inverter 91 to energize line 92 and, together with thepotential on line 93 energizes AND gate 94 to place a potential on line76, since inhibit gate 95 is now inactive. Projector P1 indexes untilthe photocells PClS to PO19 compare with the status of latches 83 to 87when comparator 89 produces an output to depotentialize line 92 (andline 76) to stop the indexing. While indexing proceeds, the documentproceeds to photocell PC8 which senses the control symbol GCS to resetlatches 83 to 87 after a slight delay (through delay 97), andcomplements FF2 (reset to the P2 position) to occupy the P1 status. Thesetting of FF2 to the P1 status energizes the line 75 to engage theexposure clutch 74 (FIG. 4) and line 77 to energize the shutter solenoidSM (FIG. 5) to expose the drum. It also inhibits (through inhibit gate95) any indexing signal from appearing on line 76, which would occur assoon as the film strip moves out of registration with its sensingphotocells. The exposure from P1 continues until the photocell PC8senses the next following document (the end of the preceding document)to switch FF2 to the P2 position to remove potential from the lines 75and 77. The significance of this relationship will be appreciated if oneremembers that the documents are preprinted on Web 15 withoutintervening spaces.

When the second document reaches photocells PC2 through PC7 (while P1 isstill exposing the drum 45), FFl will switch to the P2 position topotentialize line 98 and open gate 99 to activate the photocells PC10through PC14 in projector P2. Projector P2 now miscompares and lines 92and 98 combine in AND gate 96 to produce an output passed by inhibitgate 100 to indexing line 76A of projector P2. When photocell PC8 sensesthe end of the second document, it switches FF2 to the P2 position toexpose projector P2 by activating lines 75A and 77A. Switching of FF2from P1 position to P2 position closes the shutter of projector P1,unclutches its exposure drive, and renders it operable to index whennext PC2 senses a new GCS symbol.

In summary of the operation of the circuit diagram, PC2 gates the formscontrol code to latches 83-87 and initiates indexing of the appropriateprojector through FF1. Indexing is complete before exposure starts.Photocell PC8 starts the exposure by switching FF2, which exposureterminates upon the next energization of PC8 by the next following GCSsymbol. Since the documents are joined, exposure from one projectorstarts upon termination of the exposure from the preceding projector.The operation is continuous, but may vary in speed depending upon thecontrol of the variable speed drive, with a consequent adjustment of theiris diaphragms in the projectors.

Following the overprinting of the form background in the forms printer1, the web 15 feeds to the loop storage device 2, preferablyincorporating the structure disclosed in US. Patent 3,057,568, issuedOct. 9, 1962, to J. A. Weidenhammer et al. This device employs anevacuated web loop chamber into which the loop is tensioned byatmospheric pressure. A succession of spaced ports and vacuum switchesVS are exposed to atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure depending onthe web loop length to sense the loop length. These switches, whenconnected to the variable speed drive VSD, by cable 81 cause it to speedup or slow down to maintain a constant loop length.

From the loop storage device 2, the web 15 is fed by clutched pinchrolls and 21 past a sensing station 23 when the number of copies to bemade (Field B) is sensed. If no copy is to be made, the leading edge ofthe web 15 is diverted into the upper bypass feed path 24 and thence tostacker 25. If a copy is to be made, the leading edge of the web 15 isdiverted and fed on drum 26. In both instances, the next followinggating control symbol GCS, sensed at station 23, operates a rotary shear27, to separate the preceding document from web 15 to allow it toproceed in either the bypass feed path 24 or on drum 26. A document fedon drum 26 will, if only one copy is required, by fed off the drum bydiverter roll 28 to stacker 25. If multiple copies are required of agiven document, it will remain on the drum 26 and will be recirculatedthe requisite number of times.

An original document, when it is fed on drum 26 rolls in contact withthe xerographic printing drum 145 to expose it. To this end the drum 26is transparent and contains a light source 59 which illuminates thedocument as it rolls in contact with the drum 145. A copy number printer40 attached to the light source applies copy number marks to drum 145,in a manner to be described.

The xerographic drum rotating clockwise serially traverses the cleaningstation 160, charging station 161, the exposure station (tangent withdrum 26), toner transfer station 159, and the printing station (tangentto print transfer roller 131). The copy paper feeds over print transferroller 131 to the fixing station 148, and is stacked as separatedocuments in stacker 125.

Returning in more detail to the feeding, sensing and cutting of theoriginal document web, feed rolls 20 and 21 and the rotary shear 27 aredriven through a clutched drive, the shear 27 being additionallyclutched. When these elements are clutched, they operate synchronouslywith the basic machine drive. All other feeding elements in the originaldocument feed operate continuously, although they may or may not have adocument therein.

A document feeding into and through the bypass path is engaged by feedroll 29 and 30, 33 and 34, 36 and 46, 37 and 47, 38 and 48, 39 and 49,28 and 41, and 42 and 44. These rolls are driven from the basic machinedrive at a constant speed, wherein the lineal document speed is constantthroughout the machine. A document feeding in the copy feed feedsthrough rolls 29 and 30, 33 and 34, to drum 26 where it rolls beneathrolls 50 and 51 to printing drum 145, and then beneath rolls 55 and 56to diverter roll 28 and roll 41 to rolls 42 and 44 to stacker 25. If asecond copy is required, the document continues on drum 26 beneath rolls39, 38, 37, 36 and 33 to repeat the cycle. It is noted that certain ofthe feed rolls are common to both the copy feed and the bypass feed. Thefeed-in roll 33 and the diverter roll 28 are similar in construction,both being fabricated of a porous material and having non-rotatinginternal chambers which are normally pressurized, but which may beevacuated by operation of a control valve. In the feed-in roll 33, theinternal chamber 52 extends from 12 oclock to 3 oclock and is evacuatedby operation of a transfer valve 52V to transfer the chamber from thenormally pressurized state to the evacuated state. The remaininginternal chamber in roll 33 is continuously pressurized to effectdocument separation. The corresponding chamber 55 in diverter roll 28extends from 9 oclock to 12 oclock and is selectively evacuated byoperation of transfer valve 55V. The remaining 270 of roll 28 iscontinuously pressurized to effect document separation. Thus, a documentfed to the feed-in roll 33 will be normally deflected by the air flowtherethrough into the bypass feed 24. When copying is required, thevalve 52V is operated to evacuate the chamber to divert the feed to thedrum 26. A document feeding on drum 26 will be maintained on the drum bythe air leakage out of diverter roll 28, which air flow also assists thefeeding of a document in the bypass feed 24 into the bite of feed roll41 and diverter roll 28. When a document is to be removed from the drum26, the chamber 55 is evacuated by operation of transfer valve 55V sothat the document adheres to roll 28 for onequarter revolution thereof.

Although the drum 26 is completely symmetrical, it is divided by themachine timing into two halves, which for ease of reference andcorrelation with other machine elements are labelled the A drum and Bdrum. Documents fed to the drum will occupy either the A drum or B drumwith their leading edge always aligned with one of two diametricallydisposed positions on the drum. The circumference of the drum 26 isslightly greater than twice the maximum document length so that twodocuments may occupy the drum at the same time.

Assuming that the web 15 is stationary in the bite of the feed rolls 20and 21 with its leading edge stopped just short of theconstantly'running feed rolls 29 and 30, and that the control symbols inField B, having been sensed at sensing station 23 and stored, signalthat two copies are to be made, a feed signal synchronized with therotation of drum 26 engages the clutch 58 to drive rolls 20 and 21 tofeed the web 15 forward. The same feed signal evacuates chamber 52 ofthe feed-in roll 33 to feed the document to drum 26 so that it alignswith the prescribed position on the A drum. The clutch 58 remainsengaged until the next following control symbols are sensed at station23, which sensing engages the one revolution clutch 56 (driven fromclutch 58) to engage the rotary shear 27 to cut the web 15 just ahead ofthe line of control symbols just sensed. This allows the document cutfrom the web to proceed in the copy feed on the A drum. As soon as theshear 27 operates and the one-revolution clutch 56 latches up, theclutch 58 is disengaged to stop the web feed with its leading edge justshort of the bite of feed rolls 29 and 30. For the attainment of thisend, the one-revolution clutch 56, which conventionally has a detentpawl that drops into a notch on the driven shaft to latch the drivenshaft after one revolution, is additionally provided with contacts CDSwhich are closed when the detent pawl falls into the notch. The closureof these contacts CDS disengage clutch 58.

The document feeding on the A drum passes the exposure station where thecopy printer 40 is operated to produce coded marks indicative of thenumber two on the xerographic drum 145, along with the image of theoriginal document. The document then feeds past the diverter roll 28(continuously pressurized) which maintains the document on the A drumfor a second revolution and exposure. Meanwhile, the next followingdocument with the control symbols sensed and stored is motionless in thefeed. When a feed signal synchronized with the movement of the B drumarrives, clutch 58 is engaged to feed the next following document to theB drum for copying. If this requires but one copy, the copy printer willprint a one code mark on drum 145 and the document will feed off drum 26by evacuation of the diverter roll 28 chamber 55 as the leading edgeapproaches its bite. The document remaining on the A drum will passfeed-in roll 33 (now restored to its normal pressure state) for a secondexposure, wherein the copy printer will mark the drum 145 with a onecode mark. The document will then feed off drum 26 by evacuation ofdiverter roll 28'.

If the second document had required no copying, then the clutch 58 wouldnot have been disengaged, the feed-in roll 33 would remain pressurized,and the document would have been fed to the bypass feed withoutinterruption. The sensing of the next following control symbols wouldcut the web to permit the document to proceed in the bypass feed. Theweb 15 is always out following sensing of the control symbols, so thatthe preceding document may continue in its selected feed direction evenif the web feed is stopped.

The sensing of the control symbols, in addition to operating the rotaryshear 27 to cut the web, also stores the number of copies to be made. Ifthe count is zero (no copies), clutch 58 is engaged to feed to thebypass feed. If the count is other than zero, this copy count is enteredinto either the A counter or B counter, depending to which drum thedocument feeds. The thus entered number in the A or B counter controlsthe copy number printer 40 to print the requisite copy number. If thecounter registers a count of one, it controls the evacuation of diverterroll 28 to feed the document off the drum 26. If the count is two ormore, the document remains on the drum. After the document passes 3oclock (rotating counterclockwise), the counter is decremented by onecount. The count in the counter now standing at more than zero signalsthat the corresponding drum section is occupied and, when tested,prevents feeding of a document to that section of the drum. If, on theother hand, only one copy were required, the counter would receive aninitial count of one, which, when decremented by one, would yield a zerocount, which, when tested, would signal an empty drum and permit entryof a new document. Thus the A and B counters receive a copy count uponeach entry of a new document and are decremented by one count as thedrum section traverses the upper half of its revolution. Each of thecounters controls the feeding in and feeding off of documents to thecopy drum 26. A count of zero feeds in a new document, while a count ofone feeds a document off the drum.

The bypass feed 24 is a longer feed path than the copy feed on drum 26.Thus, a copy fed from the drum will lead one feeding in the bypass feed.Not only does this keep the documents in order, but also it facilitatesmerging of the document feeds at feed roll 41.

The drum 26 has been stated to be transparent and contains the lightsource 59 for exposing the xerographic drum through the originaldocument to be copied. It has also been stated, without furtherelaboration, that the copies are marked with a coding manifestive of thecopy number. These details require further explanation. Reference toFIG. 8 will reveal a construction which permits glass or othertransparent substance to be employed in fabricating the drum While stillpermitting access to the internal light source 59 and copy numberprinter 40. The glass cylinder 102 is formed with shoulders 1028 whichare clamped by split circumferential clamps 103 and 104 to theshouldered drum heads 105 and 106 to form a drum, the end members havingattached hollow shaft portions which permit journalling and driving thedrum (as by means of gear 107), while at the same time permitting accessto the drum interior for cooling air and wires to the lamp and copyprinter 40. To this end a tubular support 108 mounts lamp brackets 109and 110 and an elongated perforated blast tube 111 for lamp cooling.Plug 112 and exhaust port 108A provide access for the wiring 113 to thelamp and the copy printer 40, as well as permitting the cooling air toescape. Removal of clamp 104 gives access to the drum interior.

The copy printer 40 and its coaction with the light source 59 is shownin greater detail in FIG. 9. The light housing 114 containing tubularlight source L has an internal configuration which concentrates thelight on the exit slit 114A and thus on the printing station. It issurrounded by a saddle 115 to which the copy number print shutters aremounted. This saddle is slideably mounted on the lamp housing to permitits axial alignment with an assigned blank field on the document form.The saddle 115 mounts three shutter magnets SM1, SM2, and SM4 (two ofwhich are shown) in staggered relationship. Each of these magnetsoperates upon a different armature 116 to attract it and slide theshutter 117 over the light exit slit. Springs 118 and 119 restore thearmature and restrain the shutter against the lower surface of saddle115. The shutters 117 lie adjacent to one another with a spacingcompatible with the printer column spacing, and are operatedcombinatorially to represent the number of copies in the binarynotation. The magnets SM1, SM2, and SM4 are set by the copy counter aseach document feeds, either de novo or repetitively, past the receivingstation on drum 26 to manifest the copy number. As the leading edge ofthe document feeds to the exposure station, the shutters simulate blackmarks on the document by obscuring the passage of light. As soon as thecontrol symbols on the original document pass the exposure slit, themagnets SM1, etc., are deenergized to open the slit for exposure of anydocument information that might be aligned with the copy number field.The copy produced by this apparatus will contain none, one, two, orthree strips extending from the end of the document copy (web 15 is fedbackwards) to the line of control symbols. The magnets SM1, M2, and SM4are set for each document by the A and B copy counters and will actuallycount backward, the first copy to be produced will be marked with thehighest copy number, the second with the next highest number, etc.

All of the preceding explanation has been confined to the feeding,cutting, and exposure of the original document web and documents cuttherefrom. No attention has been directed to the xeropgraphic copyprinting or to the feeding, cutting, and stacking of the copies. Theblank copy paper is stored on supply roll 121 from which it is fed bypinch rolls 122 and 123 and pinch rolls 126 and 127 past the rotaryshear 128 when copying is to be effected. A one-revolution clutch 129 isenergized to drive the pinch rolls for as many revolutions as arerequired to feed a length of web equal to the maximum document length.The shear 128 operates at the end of this feed to cut a copy sheet fromthe web 15, the leading edge of the copy sheet being arrested just shortof the bite of drum 145 and roll 131. The thus fed and cut copy sheet isimmediately available for receiving the ink transfer from drum 145 uponthe next copy signal. It feeds between drum 145 and reversing roll 131(evacuated counterclockwise from 12 oclock to 6 oclock), around roll 131to roll 132, heater and fixing rolls 148, feed rolls 133 and 134 pastPC25 to feed rolls 135 and 136, to stacker 125. The photocell PC25senses the cut control symbol CCS (FIG. 2) and trips a one-revolutionclutch 137 to cut the copy sheet to size. The shear 138, when clutchedby clutch 137, operates synchronously with the copy feed to cut thesheet on a line just following the out control symbol CCS. The shear 138when clutched, operates synchronously with the copy feed to cut thesheet on a line just following the out control symbol CCS. The feedrolls 122, 123, 126, 127 and shear 128 are all driven through theone-revolution clutch 129 which in turn is driven from the basic machinedrive. Drum 145, rolls 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, and 136 are all rotatedcontinuously in synchronism with the basic machine drive so as topreserve the constant lineal document speed throughout the machine; alldocuments, when they are fed by a clutched feed, thus feed smoothly intothe constantly-running feed.

The xerographic printer includes the conventional photoconductive drum145, cleaner 160, ion charging station 161, toner applicator 159, andthe tone fixing station 148. These are known elements in this printingprocess and do not require further elaboration. Since exposure to lighterases the electrostatic charge on the drum, the covering of the lightsource slit by the copy number printer 40 at the leading edge of eachnew document will prevent destruction of the charge for the duration ofclosure of the slit. The drum when toned will adhere ink to these bandsof charges to print short coded stripes at the top of each copydocument. These stripes begin at the top edge of the document andterminate at the bottom of the printing line containing the preprintedcontrol symbols. The marks are made in a field of the document unusedfor recording other control symbols. These stripes will align withphotocell sensors in the sorter and collator 4 to control thedistribution of the copies.

The controls for effecting the coordinated operation of the copy printer3, whose mechanical construction has been explained, are shown in thewiring diagram of FIG. 10. The coordination with the mechanicaloperation is effected by the circuit breaker contacts A1, A2, A3, B1, B2and B3 all of which are closed by cam mounted on the basic machine driveand are referenced to the feed of the copy drum 26. The A contactsrelate to the A drum, and the B contacts relate to the B drum. Thedetailed timing of these contacts will be treated when the machinetiming is examined in detail. For the understanding of the wiringdiagram, it is sufficient to state that the contacts A1 close brieflywhen the A drum is in the upper half of its revolution, and that the A2contacts close shortly thereafter at a time such that the leading edgeof the web 15, waiting just short of feed rolls 29 and 30 (FIG. 7), willstart its forward feed and arrive on the A drum in the requisiteorientation. The B1 and B2 contacts are similarly timed with respect tothe B drum, and are thus 180 out of phase with respect to thecorresponding A contacts. Contacts A3 close as the leading edge of adocument fed on the A drum enters the bite of drum 26 and drum forexposure. Contacts B3 close 180 later, when a document on the B drumenters the exposure position. With these basic timing relationships inmind, one is now prepared to examine the wiring diagram in greaterdetail.

As the web 15 feeds to the sensing station 23, photocell PC21 thereatsenses the gating control symbol GCS (FIG. 2) to energize the clutchmagnet 56M to engage the one-revolution clutch to synchronize therotation of the rotary shear 27 with the web feed to cut the web at therequired shear line. When the one-revolution clutch 56 completes itsone-revolution of movement, and the clutch detent pawl drops into thenotch in the driven disc to close contacts CDS, their closure sends apulse through capacitor 169 to pulse the stop magnet 58S of clutch 58,to declutch the drive to feed rolls 20 and 21 and thus arrest the webfeed. The energization of PC21 by the sensing of GCS also opens gate 170to activate the photocells PC22 through PC24 to sense Field B (withwhich they are aligned) to detect the number of copies to be made. Thesephotocells will be combinatorially energized (or not energized) inbinary fashion to set the latches 172, 173 and 174 directly to thebinary one state, or indirectly to the zero state through inverters 175,176, and 177, thus storing the number of copies to be made. If thelatches 172, 173 and 174 are all in the binary zero state (no copies),their outputs ANDed in AND gate 178 will activate OR gate 179 toenergize the run magnet 58M of clutch 58 to continue the web feed, andalso fire the single-shot 180 to operate the inhibit gate 209 for thetime equal to the revolution of the one revolution clutch 56 to preventit from operating the stop magnet 588 to interrupt the Web feed. The webfeed thus continues into the bypass feed 24, the photocell PC21 sensingthe next following GCS symbol to cut the web to allow the document nowin the bypass feed to continue. The normally pressurized feed-in roll 33remains pressurized to effect the feed into the bypass feed.

If the latches 172, 173, and 174 have any count other than zero, theone-revolution clutch 56 operates to cut the web 15 and disengage clutch58, in the manner already explained, to stop the web feed. If the Acounter 181 contains a count of zero, the OR gate 182 will yield nooutput which when inverted in inverter 183 indicates that theapproaching A drum is empty. When the A2 contacts close, AND gate 184will be energized to cause the web to feed to the copy drum.Energization of AND 184 operates OR gate 185 and OR gate 179 to actuateclutch magnet 58M and engage clutch 58 to feed the web 15 forward. Theclutch energization pulse, originating with the closure of A2, alsofires single-shot 186 to transfer the solenoid valve 52V to transfer thechamber 52 in the feed-in roll 33 from pressure to vacuum for theduration of the firing of single-shot 186, sufficiently long to permitthe web edge to feed to the feed-in roll 33, around the roll to drum 26to the copy feed. AND gate 184 (when timed by closure of A2) operatesthrough delay 187 to open the three-way gate 188 to gate the number ofcopies stored in latches 172174 into the A counter 181. This delay isnecessary because the A counter must first be tested for a zero count toinitiate the feed before it receives a new copy count. A second delay189 (following delay 187) opens gate 190 to gate the A counter tolatches 191, 192 and 193, which latches operate selective ones of theshutter magnets SMl, SM2 and SM4 of the copy number printer 40 (FIGS. 7and 9). The document continues its feed on the copy drum 26, and issevered from the web by the next following gating symbol GCS. When theleading edge passes the printing station, contacts A3 close. Thisclosure opens. the copy printer shutters and alerts the copy paper feed.The first of these events occurs when OR gate 194 is energized by A3 toreset the latches 191, 192 and 193 to deenergize the shutter magnetsSMl, SM2 and SM4 to open the light slit to expose the areas of thedocument to follow. Since the A counter 181 must have at least a countof one therein, .OR gate 182 will be energized to produce an output online 195 to activate AND gate 196 when A3 closes. AND gate 196 switchestrigger 197 to the one state to store the need for a copyfeed 180 later.When B3 closes, 180 later, its closure coupled with the one state oftrigger 197 activates AND gate 198 to energize OR gate 199 andsingle-shot 200 to, trip the one-revolution clutch 129 (copy paper feedclutch) through magnet 129M. AND gate 198 operates through delay 201 toreset trigger 197 to the zero state in preparation for the next documentfeed on the A drum.

The document feeding on the A drum may continue for a second copyingthereof or may be diverted by diverter roll 28 to stacker 25. Thedecision as to its destination is determined by the count in counter A.If this count is one, the line 181-1 (the one line of counter 181) willbe energized and lines 1812 and 181-4 deenergized, thus OR gate 202 willyield no output which through inverter 203 will combine with thepotential on line 181-1 and the pulse from B2 to activate AND gate 204,OR gate 204, OR gate 205 and single-shot 206 to operate the solenoidtransfer valve 55V to evacuate the chamber 55 in diverter roll 28 tofeed the document off the drum and to stacker 25. The B2 impulse occurat a time when the leading edge of the document on the A drum approachesthe diverter roll, and the single-shot 206 has a timing durationsufiicient for the document to feed off the drum and into the feed outfeed path.

If, when B2 closes the count in counter A is other than one, then ANDgate 204 will yield no output to cause evacuation of the diverter roll28. The document, therefore, remains on the copy drum 26 for a secondcopying. When A1 closes after the leading edge of the document on the Adrum passes diverter roll 28, it decrements the A counter 181 by onecount. The count standing in A counter 181 must now be at least one.Therefore, when A2 closes to test the A counter content, OR gate 182will be energized, inverter 183 deenergized, to prevent operation of ANDgate 184 and OR gate 185. Thus, valve 52V will not be operated nor willclutch 58 be energized. The web 15, therefore, cannot be fed to enter anew document on the now occupied A drum. On the second revolution of thedocument on the A drum, the now decremented count in the counter willactivate the copy printer magnets to print code numbers equal to oneless than the previously printed number.

While the document was feeding on the A drum, the next followingdocument was free to feed in the bypass feed 24 as soon as it wassensed. If the document required copying, the operation just traced forthe feeding of a document to the A drum would be repeated for the nextdocument feeding to the B drum, with operations lagging thecorresponding A operations by 180. Circuit elements for the B operationare duplicates of those controlling the A operation and bear similarreference numbers with a B added thereto.

Summarizing the operation of the control circuits, duplicate circuitsare provided for the A and B drum halves, and these circuits arealternately called into action by the contacts A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, andB3 which are closed by rotation of the basic machine drive. As eachsuccessive document is sensed, it feeds either to the bypass feed orcopy feed. Feeding to the copy feed is initiated only when the copycounter registers a zero count, indicating an empty drum section. Thenew count is entered and the web fed to the empty drum section. Ifmultiple copies are to be made, this counter is decremented by one countto control the feeding of the document off the copy drum when the countreaches one. Each of the copy counters controls the copy number printerto mark the copy with symbols manifestive of the copy number.

The overlapping of functions and their relative times of activity areshown in the timing diagram of FIG. 11. The timing is all oriented withrespect to rotation of the copy drum 26, with 0 occurring when a givendrum line passes the point of tangency with feed-in roll 33 to mark thebeginning of the A drum. The B drum starts 180 later. Thus, the line onthe timing chart labelled Feed to A measures the time that the documentfeeds from roller 33 to drum 26 in the A half thereof. Since the drum islarger than two document lengths, the feeding to drum 26 always takesless than 180, and for short documents very much less. The feed from theA drum starts at 180 concurrently with the start of the feed to the Bdrum. The leading edge of the document enters the exposure station afterit starts its feed to drum 26. Thus, a document on the A drum startsexposure at 90 and one on the B drum starts exposure at 270. Onceexposure starts from a given document edge, the image of that documenton the xerographic drum arrives at the printing station 180 later. Thus,a document exposed 90 to (the latter will vary) will print on the copypaper from 270 to 90 of the next cycle. Exposure from the B drum startsat 270 and printing from that image starts 180 later at 90 in the nextcycle.

Turning now to the shaft-controlled contacts A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2 andB3, their timing is shown in the top six lines .of FIG. 11. Contacts A1may close at any time after the leading edge of the document feeding onthe A drum passes diverter roll 28 (at 180 The only other requirement isthat they must close before A2. Closure of A1 is arbitrarily chosen tooccur at 260 and remains closed for 20, again arbitrary. When A2 closesat 260 the A counter (ACTR) is decremented by one count, shown as stepsin ACTR line at 260 in the first and second cycles indicating an initialcount of three decremented successively to two and one counts. The A2closure occurs after closure of A1, its time being a function of thegeometry of the feed. Closure of A2 precedes 0 by the time necessary forthe leading edge of 15 sitting just short of feed rolls 29 and 30 to bemoved (as clutch 58 is engaged by A2) to the bite of feed roll 33 anddrum 26. This closure has been shown at 300. In addition to initiatingfeeding to the A drum (precluded in the timing illustrated because the Acounter registers a count other than zero), contacts A2 enter the copycount into the A counter, also precluded in this example, because the Acounter (ACTR) has counts of three, two, and one at A2 time.

The B1 contacts closing at 80 initially seek to decrement the B counter(BCTR) which already registers a zero count. The B counter, therefore,remains at zero. When B2 closes at approximately 120, the B counter isempty to permit feeding to the B drum and entry of a one count thereinas shown by the one step rise in the BCTR line. When B1 next closes, theB counter is decremented to zero for entry of a second .one count whenB2 closes next (shown by the short zero count in the BCTR line). Thefinal setting of the B counter at the end of the timing chart shows anentry of a four count.

As was shown in the wiring diagram (FIG. 10), B2 initiated the diversionof a document from the A drum and A2 initiated the diversion from the Bdrum, through a single-shot. Since a document feeds to the B drum as 15one feeds olf the A drum this 180 phase reversal is understandable. Inlieu of the single-shot, additional contacts can be added with a longerduration and timing to evacuate the drum 28 for the requisite time.

The A3 and B3 contacts control the copy printer 40 and the initiation ofthe feed of the copy stationery. Contacts A3 operating at 90 restore theshutters in the copy printer to open the light slit, thus adding marksto the leading edge only of the document copy. The B3 contacts performthe same function for documents fed on the B drum. Since a document onthe A drum begins exposure of the xerographic drum 145 at 90 machinetime, and that first exposure image arrives at the print station 180later, the B3 impulse (at 270) actuates the copy paper feed for adocument copied from the A drum. Conversely, the A3 contacts actuatescopy paper feed for a document copied from the B drum. All of theforegoing timing is approximate and indicates the relative sequence ofevents. In practice, the timing is adjusted approximately and thenrefined as the machine is cranked slowly through its sequence ofoperations. A final refinement in the adjustment is made by operatingthe machine at speed and viewing the operation thereof with astroboscopic light or by high-speed motion pictures. This permitscompensation for time lags in the operation of the various mechanicalelements. Once the machine is thus timed, the adjustments are locked.

A further timing chart (FIG. 12) shows a typical procession of documentsrequiring varying number of copies from zero to five, through themachine. If it is arbitrarily assumed that the documents numbered from 1to 14 require the number of copies as follows:

Document: No. of copies 1 5 2 2 3 4 0 5 0 6 4 7 1 then the timingdiagram of FIG. 12 will be readily understood. The first line of boxeswith numbers therein show the documents feeding into and out of the Adrum. The second line of boxes shows the feeding of documents into andout of the B drum. The final line with encircled document numbers showsthe documents fed in the bypass feed. Starting from left to right,document 1 feeds to the A drum and remains there for five revolutions toproduce the requisite five copies. Document 2 follows immediately to theB drum and remains there for two revolutions. Document 3 feedsimmediately following document 2 and through the bypass feed. Ifdocument 3 required copying, it would have been withheld until the Bdrum was empty in the third cycle. Meanwhile, however, the fourth andfifth documents follow immediately behind the third document to thebypass feed and stacker. When the trailing edge of the fifth documentfeeds into the bypass feed, the sixth document finds the B drum emptyand feeds thereon for four revolutions, during which time the firstdocument feeds off the A drum at 180 of the fifth cycle, and the seventhdocument takes its place at 0 of the sixth cycle and feeds off at 180 ofthat cycle. At 0 of the seventh cycle, the sixth document feeds off theB drum and the eighth document feeds on the A drum for two revolutionsthereon. The ninth document, fed at 180 of the seventh cycle followingfeeding .of document 8 could have fit on the B drum if a copy of it wererequired.

However, since no copy is required, it feeds to the bypass feed and out.The B drum, therefore, remains empty, until 180 of the eighth cycle,when it receives the eighth document for two revolutions. Document 11feeds on the A drum at 0 of the ninth cycle and off at 180 of the tenthcycle followed by document 10 from the B drum at 0 of the eleventhcycle. Document 12 feeds on the A drum at 0 of the eleventh cycle andoff at 180 of the twelfth cycle for the requisite two copies. Documents13 and 14 feed on and off the B drum during the eleventh and twelfthcycles to complete the illustrated succession of documents.

Remembering that the bypass feed is longer than the copying feed, andassuming for ease of understanding that all documents are of comparablelength, then the order of delivery of the original documents to stacker25 is as follows:

The order of deliveries of the copies to stacker will be as follows:

Thus, during twelve cycles of drum 26, fourteen original documents havebeen fed through the machine and a total of twenty-three copiesproduced. For other combinations of copies, and no copies, the outputwill vary. Obviously, no more than two copies per revolution of drum 26can be produced. So, also, will the document throughput be slowed if alarger number of copies is required. To offset this, the bypass feed forno copies, proceeding as it does immediately upon the sensing of nocopies, permits a rapid feeding of documents, particularly if thesehappen to be short documents, as they can feed immediately withoutreference to drum 26. Thus, if the ratio of maximum to minimum documentlength were 4: l, then four minimum length documents could be passed bythe bypass feed while one preceding maximum length document was beingcopied in the copy field.

A further refinement of the present apparatus wherein the documentlength is sensed at station 23 would permit loading the appropriate drumsection with a multiplicity of documents whose aggregate length does notexceed the half drum circumference. An even further refinement,including the provision of an erasable magnetic drum rotating with drum26 and upon which index marks measuring the respective limits of thedocuments loaded thereon, together with the number of copies of each tobe made, would permit a self-synchronizing drum loading and unloading,and provided in effect, timing controls such as those provided by thecontacts A1 to A3 and B1 to B3 with a timing readjusted for everycombination of document lengths, This asynchronous type of operationwould effect an improvement in the overall speed of operation at theexpense of additional complication. It would not provide any additionalfunctions, however.

If the ultimate in copying speed were required, it can be attained byproviding a series of xerographic drums over which the original documentweb is rolled in succession. The first of these drums would be actuatedfor the first copy, the second drum for the second copy, etc. Each drumand its associated paper feed would be selectively called into action bythe coded marks on each document. Thus, though a given document mightpass seriately over eight copying drums, only the first two thereofwould be operative to produce copies, if only two copies were required.If no copies of a given document were to be made, it would pass over allof the copying drums without activating them. This machine configurationwould require a multiplicity of xerographic drums and attendantcleaning, charging, and inking stations, as well as multiple paperfeeds. The speed increase would, therefore, be attained at a consequentmultiplication of cost. One advantage of such a configuration would,however, be the 17 possibility of using different colored stationery forthe different copies. The same effect is achieved in the instantpreferred embodiment by applying a distinct copy marking to eachdifferent copy, which copy marks have the additional advantage of beingmachine sensible to control their sorting destination.

The original documents piled in stacker 25 and the copies piled instacker 125 contain all of the original preprinted control symbolsincluding the document format (Field A), the number of copies (Field B),and the special control symbols (Field C). In addition, each copycontains marks which signify whether it is the first, second, third, orsubsequent copy. This permits sorting in a great variety of manners.Since the original documents are all stacked in stacker 25, and thecopies in stacker 125, there is no need to sense whether a given sheetof paper is an original or a copy, although the copy number print whichappears only on the copies can provide such a control.

The documents in the stackers 25 and 125 are fed one at a time byconventional sheet feeding and separating means to the respectivesensing stations 217 and 218. Here, all of the control symbols aresensed by photocells under control of the gating control symbol GCS(FIG. 2). These control symbols are stored in latches, as are the copynumber code stripes printed upon each of the copies by the copy numberprinter 40. These latches, operating through pluggable logic, controlthe distribution of the original documents and the copies to any one ofthe pockets 219-1 to 219-8 and 220-1 to 220-8. Because the sheets arefed seriately through their respective feeds at a constant speed, thetime delay from sensing to sorting is constant. Therefore, while thedistance from the sensing station to the sort diverting entrance mayvary, it should not exceed the length of the shortest document, becausethe storage latches must have exercised their control before the nextfollowing document is sensed. This obviates the need for employingduplicate storage latches, alternating between documents. Althoughdocuments of different lengths will feed past the sensing station 217and energize the photocells at various times, depending on documentlength, the leading edge of any given document will always arrive at thesorting entrance a fixed time following sensing of the control symbols.This relationship is exploited by using the gating symbol GCS (FIG. 2)to time the operation of the mechanical sorting destination controls tothe movement of the document. Since each of the sorters employs aconstruction similar to that shown in the US. Patent No. 1,741,985issued to E. A. 'Ford, Dec. 31, 1929 wherein chute blades areselectively parted in synchronism with the passage of the leading edgeof the document to open a feed path to the selected pocket, the sortmagnet SM (FIG. 13) must be operated at the requisite time. Therefore,when PC30 senses the gating control symbol GCS, it not only gates thecontrol symbols to storage latches (as in FIG. 6), but also engages theone-revolution clutch 221 which drives the sort commutator 222 (FIG. 13)in timed synchromism with the feeding of the leading edge of thedocument. If the plughub 223-4 is energized to sort to the fourthpocket, the moving brush brush 222B of commutator 222 will arrive at thecommutator segment 222-4 as the document 224 occupies the position shownin FIG. 13. Current flow through hub 223-4, brush 222B, commutatorsegment 222-4 and sort magnet SM energizes it to attract armature 225 toproduce an opening between the chute blades 226-3 and 226-4, and thedocument will be fed between to chute blades to the appropriate pocket219-4. The plughubs 223-1 to 223-8 are energized by pluggable logicshown in FIG. 14.

Turning now to FIG. 14 wherein the pluggable logic is illustrated as aplugboard diagram with appropriate legends, the plughubs 223-1 to 223-8are the same plughubs shown internally wired to the sort commutator 222in FIG. 13. By plugging through the logic one of these plughubs isselectively energized for each document feeding from the sensingphotocells to the chute blades. The plug hubs 227-0 through 227-7represent the number of copies recorded in Field A, decoded by internalcircuitry to a decimal representation by means of a diode matrix orother decoder activated from the storage latches, which latches are setby the photocells which sense Field A. The plughubs 228-1 through 228-32are similarly energized from a decoding matrix activated by the latchesstoring the reading of Field B. There are thirty-two plughubs 228-1through 228-32, representing the library of form backgrounds. Theplughubs 229-1 to 229-10 are the sort control symbols of Field C (FIG.2) and are directly energized without decoding by the latches whichstore the photocell response to these control symbols. The plughub 230is connected to a constant voltage supply. Thus, all of the plughubs atthe top of FIG. 14 are current producing hubs, while those at the bottom(sort control) are current utilizing hubs. When a current producing hubis connected, either directly, or through intervening logic, to a sortcontrol hub a document is sorted to the corresponding pocket.

Between the current producing plughubs and the sort control plughubs arepluggable logic elements, including gates 231, OR gates 232, AND gates233, inhibit gates 234, inverters 235, and EXCLUSIVE OR gates 236. Gates231 have an input hub 231A, and output hub 231B and a control hub 231C,which when energized connects hubs 231A and 231B in conductiverelationship. Similarly, but conversely, the inhibit gates 234disconnect hubs 234A and 234B when control hub 234C is energized. ORgates 232, AND gates 233, and EXCLUSIVE OR gates 236, each have twoinput plughubs and a single output plughub to provide the connections tothe requisite logic functions. Inverters 235 have only two plughubs andoperate as a logical NOT. The various logic elements are selectivelyplugged to control sorting in the desired manner, a typical example ofwhich will now be traced.

Assume that it is desired to effect the following sort distribution:

(1) Sort all priority documents, except the presidents report to theeighth pocket.

(2) If the presidents report is also a priority document, sort it to theseventh pocket.

(3) Sort all non-priority checks to the sixth pocket; if it is apriority check, sort to the eighth pocket.

(4) Sort all other original documents (including a nonprioritypresidents report) as follows:

(a) Documents requiring none, one, two, or three copies respectively tothe first, second third or fourth pockets.

(b) Documents requiring four or more copies to the fifth pocket.

The foregoing sort rules are implemented by the plugging shown by theheavy dotted lines of FIG. 14. Starting first with a priority documentnot a presidents report, signalled by a control impulse on hub 229-8(priority) and the absence of a pulse on hub 228-32 (presidents reportform). The impulse on hub 229-8 feeds through inhibit gate 234-5 to hub223-8 to effect sorting to the eighth pocket. Had the document been apresidents report also, inhibit gate 234-5 would have been inhibited toprevent the sort to the eighth pocket. In this latter instance, thepresence of an impulse on hub 228-32 and 229-8 is combined in AND gate223-1 to pulse hub 223- 7 to sort a priority presidents report to theseventh pocket.

If the original document is a non-priority check, hub 229-8 will beunpotentialized and hub 228-28 (check form) will be potentialized. Thiswill allow the impulse from hub 228-28 to pass inhibit gate 234-2 toplughub 223-6 to sort a non-priority check to pocket six. A prioritycheck sorts to pocket eight.

If a document is non-priority, and not a check (it may be a non-prioritypresidents report), it will sort by the number of copies required. Thisis achieved by pugging hub 229-8 (priority document) and 2223-28 (check)to OR gate 232-5 and the output therefrom to the control hub of inhibitgate 2341.'The presence of either a check or a priority document willinhibit this gate. Otherwise, a plus potential from hub 230 will passthe gate 234-1 to open all of the gates 231 to pass the impulse whichwill appear on one of the hubs 227- (no copy) to 227-7 (seven copies)through the gates 231. The first four connections from 227-0 to 227-3pass directly through the corresponding gates in the group 231 to therespective plughubs 223-1, 223-2, 223-3, and 223-4 to effect therequisite sort. Copies in excess of three are combined in OR gates232-1, 232-2, and 232-3 by plugging connections 237 through 242. Theplugwire 243 connects the final OR gate 232-2 to the plughub 223-5 tosort all documents not checks, not priority documents, and requiring anumber of copies in excess of three to pocket five.

It will readily be appreciated that sorts other than the one illustratedcan be performed under the combined controls of the number of copies,the form identification, and the special computer-controlled controlsymbols appearing in Field C. The logic elements can be combined byplugging in any combination to effect a variety of functions, therebeing shown but a few of these elements to obviate overcrowding of thedrawings.

A second plugboard is provided for the copy sorter. This plugboard willhave the same features as that shown in FIG. 14 with the importantaddition of plughubs indicating the copy number, this being read fromthe copy number stripes printed by the copy number printer 40. Thesesensed copy number marks, when decoded will appear as plughub impulseson a second plugboard (not illustrated) from plughubs similar to thehubs 227 on FIG. 14. These, when plugged with other combinations ofimpulses derived from sensing Fields A, B, and C (copied from theoriginal to all copies) through the appropriate logic will control thedistribution of the copies to their respective pockets in the samemanner as sorting of the original documents is effected. Only onetypical sorting operation is necessary to understand the principle ofthe pluggable logic and control thereover by the preprinted marks.

It will readily be appreciated that more or less sort pockets may beprovided following either the stackers 25 or 125, eight being anarbitrarily chosen number. It will also be apparent that the arrangementof the machine has been laid out to facilitate schematic presentation ofthe requisite functions, and that many details necessary to a completeoperating machine, which details are well-known to one skilled in theart, have been intentionally left out so as not to obscure the lucidityof the exposition. sufficient explanation of the overall function andcollaboration of the machine elements has been advanced to enable one tounderstand the basic concept of the invention wherein preprinted controlmarks on a succession of preprinted documents control the selection andoverprinting of a form background compatible with each document, andwherein the control marks control the printing of the requisite numberof copies of the original documents and distribution of the documentsand copies thereof into ordered stacks.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art tha various changes in form and details may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of preparing a succession of documents and selectedquantities of copies of each separate document, and for assembling theoriginal documents and the copies thereof in ordered stacks, whereineach successive document has a variable data content, adapted for acorresponding document format and its form background data comprisingthe steps of:

(a) printing the variable data constituting each of the successivedocuments upon blank stationery in the required format in a firstprinting operation together with control symbols individual to eachdocument for identifying the required form background, and indicatingthe number of copies to be made thereof, and the distribution thereof;

(b) reading the control symbols for identifying the form background foreach successive document, selecting a background data bearinginstrumentality bearing said background, and overprinting thecorresponding form background upon each successive document in a secondprinting operation;

(c) reading the control symbols printed upon the original documents insaid first printing operation from each of said original documentsindicating the number of copies to be made and printing the requisitenumber of copies of each original document in a third printingoperation, adding to each of the copies thus made in said third printingoperation marks indicating the ordinal number of the copy, and readingthe control symbols copied into said copies and the ordinal marksprinted upon each copy in said third printing operation and sorting theoriginal documents and copies into piles in accordance withpredetermined combinations of the control symbols and marks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,026,500 12/1935 Hutchings.

3,090,287 5/1963 Ritzerfeld 1.7 2,355,268 8/1944 Bryce 8824 3,199,4048/1965 Bragg 88-24 3,354,774 11/1967 Smitzer 8824 OTHER REFERENCES IBMTechnical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 3, No. 2, July 1960'.

JOHN M. HORAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl, X.R 35 5109

